Ski Beatz 24 Hour Karate School Presents Twilight

iTunes Review

On his third Karate School album in the last three years, North Carolina producer Ski Beatz (known for his work with Original Concept, Camp Lo, and Jay-Z, among others) connects with another batch of new-school rappers, lacing them with outstanding, sample-friendly beats. The album's relatively short at just 11 tracks, but nearly all of them are fantastic: they're loaded with tinkling piano loops, mellow guitar licks, thick drums, and smooth synths. Tabi Bonney and MURS ride the freaky, bass-heavy funk of "Hip-Hop & Love," Mickey Rocks and Trademark Da Skydiver shine on "Living It Up," and Najee impresses on the jazzy, sax-infused "City Lights." Other standouts come from Curren$y ("Fly By") and Smoke DZA ("Fly High"), but Ski himself is the real star here, as his beats are fresh enough to make anybody sound good over them. It's another great release from a producer who's been underappreciated for way too long.